Friday, September 30, 2016

Today's post is on Falling into Bed with a Duke by Lorraine Heath. It is the first in her Hellions of Havisham series. It is 372 pages long and is published by Avon Books. The cover has the main character with her back to the reader. The intended reader is someone who likes historical romance and heroines with a spine. There is some language, sex, and no violence in this book. The story is told from the third person close of the main characters. There Be Spoilers Ahead.

From the back of the book-After
six unsuccessful Seasons, Miss Minerva Dodger chooses spinsterhood over
fortune-hungry suitors. But thanks to the Nightingale Club, she can at
least enjoy one night of pleasure. At that notorious establishment,
ladies don masks before choosing a lover. The sinfully handsome Duke of
Ashebury is more than willing to satisfy the secretive lady's
desires—and draws Minerva into an exquisite, increasingly intimate
affair.A man of remarkable talents, Ashe soon deduces that his
bedmate is the unconventional Miss Dodger. Intrigued by her wit and
daring, he sets out to woo her in earnest. Yet Minerva refuses to trust
him. How to court a woman he has already thoroughly seduced? And how to
prove that the passion unleashed in darkness is only the beginning of a
lifetime's pleasure?

Review- The blurb is was drew me but the story is really quite good. I liked both my main characters, the misunderstanding was handled pretty well, and I believe that they will live happily ever after. The only thing that I did not like about the heroine was that she believe she was physically unattractive. It was the fact that she has a spine and mind of her own that made the men who wanted to court find her unattractive. But she did not see this until of course the hero shows her a picture of herself. Then she can see that she is beautiful. That annoyed me but other than that I enjoyed this book. The sex scenes are not too detailed and not very long, so if that offends you they are easy to skip. A very fun historical romance.

I give this book a Four out of Five stars. I get nothing for my review and I borrowed this book from my local library.

Monday, September 26, 2016

Today's post is on Rurouni Kenshin volume 10 by Nobuhiro Watsuki. It is 192 pages long and is published by Shonen Jump. The cover has
Kenshin and compnay on it looking very cool. It is the tenth volume in the long running
series you will have to have read the first nine in the series to understand
the story. The intended reader is someone who likes historical
stories, manga, and interesting characters. There is no foul language,
no sex, but some violence in this series. The story is told from third
person close following different characters. There Be Spoilers Ahead.

From the back of the book-His sakabato broken in
battle, Kenshin seeks out the man who forged it--Arai Shakkû--only to be
turned away. Seikû;, son of the legendary swordsmith, had for a time
been continuing his father's work (the forging of katana, meant for
killing), but has since given up that calling and spends his time making
humble cooking knives. Respecting Seikû's wishes, Kenshin leaves
without the desired blade...but not before Shishio's spies learn that
Shakkû has forged one last sword. Meanwhile, Shishio arrives in Kyoto
with orders for his ten generals or "Ten Swords" to join him and put
into motion a plan to take over Japan. Chô, one of Shishio's "swords,"
learns early of Shakkû's final blade and determines to secure it at any
cost. Now, armed only with his broken sakabatô, Kenshin must face Chô in
battle...

Review- A very battle heavy volume this one. With Kenshin searching for a new sword a villain appears. They battle and it over-the-top with jumps, dodges, and unreal swords. Chô wants to fight using different swords and he likes to kill with them. When Seikû does not have his father's last sword, Chô kidnaps his young son to make sure that Seikû is not lying to him. Kenshin, of course, wants to save a young child from the crazy guy. Kaoru and Misao met, ending with Misao leading her to Kenshin, who is with his master to try and finish learning Hiten Mitsurugi-Ryu style. And there the volume ends. So much goes on and so little at the same time. With events moving from Shishio's end and Kenshin trying to get better, I cannot wait to see where we are going next.

I give this volume a Five out of Five stars. I get nothing for my review and I bought this manga with my own money.

Friday, September 23, 2016

Today's post is on The Pharos Gate: Griffin & Sabine's Lost Correspondence by Nick Bantock. It is part of his Griffin & Sabine series but not needed to get the story just something a little extra. It is 60 pages long and is published by Chronicle Books. The cover is blue with a postcard in the center. The intended reader is someone who has read the first trilogy. There is no language, no sex, and no violence in this book. The story is told from first person letters. There Be Spoilers Ahead.

From the dust jacket-I've decided to throw caution to the wind and meet up the woman I've been corresponding with for over a year. I realize the absurdity of leaving everything behind for someone I've never seen, but I love her.
So writes artist Griffin Moss about his enigmatic love, Sabine. Their worlds seem so far apart: he in London, she on a tropical island thousands of miles away. But perhaps Griffin and Sabine are close than they think- or are they even further apart then they can imagine?

Review- An excellent addition to the overall narrative of Griffin & Sabine. This volume happens at the end of The Golden Mean. It adds to the details about how Griffin and Sabine were able to get to Alexandria and win a lifetime together. We also have Griffin's aunt's friend Maud and a friend of hers to give a outside look into Griffin and Sabine's very closed world. They see things more from our, the readers, perspective and can give us something more to the story. My favorite letter is the last one written by Maud's friend as she watches Griffin and Sabine find each other at last. Again the art is a very important part of the story and tells some of the story. Again an excellent addition.

I give this book a Five out of Five stars. I get nothing for my review and I bought this book with my own money.

Monday, September 19, 2016

Today's post is on Rurouni Kenshin volume 9 by Nobuhiro Watsuki.
It is 200 pages long and is published by Shonen Jump. The cover has
Kenshin and compnay on it looking very cool. It is the ninth volume in the long running
series. You have to have read the first eigth in the series to understand
the story. The intended reader is someone who likes historical
stories, manga, and interesting characters. There is no foul language,
no sex, but some violence in this series. The story is told from third
person close following different characters. There Be Spoilers Ahead.

From the back of the book-A glimpse of the new
Japan if the mad ambitions of Shishio Makoto should succeed is revealed
when Kenshin arrives in Kyoto and meets him at last...although the epic
battle between them will have to wait. Pitted against Shishio's
soldiers, Kenshin's reversed-edge sakabatô is broken--can it be
reforged? Should it be reforged? For time has once again begun to flow,
and violence once more washes over the land. Although Kenshin has
abandoned the ways of the hitokiri and has sworn to take life no longer,
a new assassin has now arisen--one whose taste for blood and thirst for
power knows no bounds…

Review- We finish up the intro to Shishio and his plans for Japan in this volume and so much more gets done. Kenshin's sword gets broken so he has a new quest before he can take on Shishio. The fight scenes are over-the-top but they are more serious too. Shishio is not playing with Kenshin. Kenshin is a symbol of the New Japan and Shishio wants to destroy Japan and that means Kenshin too. Sano gets lost on the road to Kyoto and gets some training from a mysterious monk that we will see again. Kenshin and Saito some how manage to work together and not try to kill each other. Kaoru and Yahiko get to Kyoto. All the pieces are in place but it's too soon for the battle. So maybe we will get some character development in the next volume. With all the plot going on, I am missing seeing Kenshin and company grow and change. But more fights, more drama, and hopefully more fun ahead.

I give this volume a Five out of Five stars. I get nothing for my review and I bought this manga with my own money.

Friday, September 16, 2016

Today's post is on Servants of the Storm by Delilah S. Dawson. It is a standalone novel. It is 376 pages long and is published by Simon Pulse. The cover is brown with a girl in red, leaning like she is being blown over by wind. The intended reader is someone who likes horror, expected plots, and lots of twists. There is some mild language, no sex, and violence in this book. The story is told from the first person close of the main character Dovey. There Be Spoilers Ahead.

From the dust jacket-A year ago, Hurricane
Josephine swept through Savannah, Georgia, leaving behind nothing but
death and destruction—and taking the life of Dovey’s best friend, Carly.
Since that night, Dovey has been in a medicated haze, numb to
everything around her.But recently she’s started to believe
she’s seeing things that can’t be real…including Carly at their favorite
café. Determined to learn the truth, Dovey stops taking her pills. And
the world that opens up to her is unlike anything she could have
imagined.As Dovey slips deeper into the shadowy corners of
Savannah—where the dark and horrifying secrets lurk—she learns that the
storm that destroyed her city and stole her friend was much more than a
force of nature. And now the sinister beings truly responsible are out
to finish what they started.Dovey's running out of Time and torn between two paths. Will she trust her childhood friend Baker. wjp can't see the threatening darkness but promises to never give up on Dovey or Carly? Or will she plot with the sexy, stranger, Isaac, who offers all the answer- for a price? Soon Dovey realizes that the danger closing in has little to do with Carly... and everything to do with Dovey herself. Review- A good introduction to adult horror for teens. But that I mean really no answer, no good guys, and everything is not real. I was having trouble enjoying this book until I decided to see the world as if Dovey is crazy. Then everything worked much better for me. When I was trying to make this a supernatural novel it was just not working for me. But if Dovey really has lost her handle on reality then everything makes sense for me.You could read that everything is really happening but I do not think that it would make the story scarier if it was all real. Maybe I should have read the book in that way but it did not work for me. If you want a interesting horror novel to try and get into horror then this book an excellent place to start.I give this book a Four out of Five stars. I get nothing for my review and I borrowed this book from my local library.

Monday, September 12, 2016

Today's post is on Rurouni Kenshin volume 8 by Nobuhiro Watsuki.
It is 200 pages long and is published by Shonen Jump. The cover has
Kenshin and compnay on it looking very cool. It is the eighth volume in the long running
series. You have to have read the six first in the series to understand
the story. The intended reader is someone who likes historical
stories, manga, and interesting characters. There is no foul language,
no sex, but some violence in this series. The story is told from third
person close following different characters. There Be Spoilers Ahead.

From the back of the book-In the
11th year of Meiji, on the day marked in the Western calendar as May
14th, time once again begins to flow. The shocking midday murder of
Department of Internal Affairs Chief Ôûkubo a fait accompli, Kenshin
leaves for Kyoto, scene of chaos and bloodshed--against the wishes of
nearly everyone who knows him as the gentle "rurouni." Awaiting him
there is Shishio Makoto, the hitokiri who replaced the cold-eyed
assassin Himura Battôsai who forswore further killing and took up the
reversed-blade sakabatô. But does Kenshin go to Kyoto for a duel...or
for a death-match?

Review- This volume is about getting everyone moving and introducing a great side character Makimachi Misao. She is just so much fun. She is a ninja and a pretty good one at that. The whole volume is Kenshin walking to Kyoto from Tokyo and everyone else getting annoyed that he taking so long. Saito and Sano have it out and Sano decides that he is going to go to Kyoto just to prove he's not baggage. Kaoru and Yahiko deal with their grief of Kenshin leaving them and get on a boat to Kyoto. But we do get to see how evil Shishio is. He has taken over a small village and is killing people there. The volume ends with Kenshin going in to stop what is happening there. So more drama, fighting, and humor ahead.

I give this book a Five out of Five stars. I get nothing for my review and I bought this manga with my own money.

Friday, September 9, 2016

Today's post is on No Place for a Dame by Connie Brockway. It is the third in her Royal Agents series but you do not have to have read the first two to understand the story. It is 278 pages long and is published by Montlake Romance. The cover has Avery looking beautiful on it. The intended reader is someone who likes historical romance and humor. There is some mild language, sex, and violence in this book. The story is told from the third person close of the two main characters. There Be Spoilers Ahead.

From the back of the book-Beautiful, bold and
brilliant, Avery dreams of becoming a member of the Royal Astronomical
Society—and the only way she can join the all-male society is to
disguise herself as a boy. After helping Giles, Lord Strand, escape a
disastrous engagement, she is certain he will assist in her daring
masquerade. No lady would ever come up with such a preposterous scheme,
and no gentleman would accept…but fortunately for Avery, Giles is no
gentleman.A bargain is struck between the stargazing adventuress
and society's most sophisticated lord. He will sponsor her as his
prodigy, and she will cover for him as he hunts London's darkest warrens
for a missing colleague from his shadowy past. But time and again Giles
finds his quest compromised by his fierce and unwise attraction to the
lovely girl who, though no lady, may well be the one dame to finally
unlock the secrets of his heart.

Review- A delightfully fun read. I really liked the two main characters and the plot in general but the spy parts were just odd to me. They felt very shoehorned in to just add drama to the series where it was not needed. The main characters themselves are more than dramatic enough. Strand is quite funny but of course he does not see it that way. Avery is very interesting character and she is driving force behind everything that happens in the plot. The reason that Strand is able to move into the future, the reason her friends grow, and so much more. She is the reason for the whole book. I loved that.I give this book a Five out of Five stars. I get nothing for my review and I borrowed this book from my local library.

Monday, September 5, 2016

Today's post is on Rurouni Kenshin volume 7 by Nobuhiro Watsuki.
It is 200 pages long and is published by Shonen Jump. The cover has
Kenshin and Saitô on it looking very cool. It is the seventh volume in the long running
series. You have to have read the six first in the series to understand
the story. The intended reader is someone who likes historical
stories, manga, and interesting characters. There is no foul language,
no sex, but some violence in this series. The story is told from third
person close following different characters. There Be Spoilers Ahead.

From the back of the book-The
Shinsengumi--fearsome and formidable protectors of the Shôgunate.
Kenshin knows them well, having done battle with them during the final
days of the Meiji Restoration. One man in particular--Saitô Hajime,
captain of the third unit--lingers in Kenshin's mind. Now an officer of
the law and known as "Fujita Gorô," Saitô arrives on the steps of the
Kamiya Dojo, challenging Kenshin to a duel that will force a reawakening
of Kenshin's own past. But the confrontation with Saitô is just the
beginning of something much larger, something that will involve the
future of the new Japan...

Review- This is the beginning of a very long arc in the series known as the Kyoto Arc. It begins with Kenshin dreaming about the Bakumatsu and fighting Saitô. The story very quickly gets serious with a plot against the current Meji government by an enemy thought to be dead. We get to see a side of Kenshin that we really have only brushed before. Kaoru, who I love, is really just annoying in this volume. She just cries and yells at Kenshin instead of trying to help. In this volume we get introduced to my favorite character in the series: Saitô Hajime. When I watched the series many years ago I fell in love with him. He is just one of the most interesting characters in the series and a very interesting man in real life. With other characters based on real people that Watsuki uses but changes their names Saitô is the only one he does not. Because he is the coolest. The fight between Kenshin and Saitô is one of the best so far. In the end Kenshin has to go and clean up the mistakes from the government again. He leaves at the end of the volume and things are looking dark. I look forward to journey to Kyoto.

I give this volume a Five out of Five stars. I get nothing for my review and I bought this volume from my own money.

Friday, September 2, 2016

Today's post is on How to Seduce a Scot by Christy English. It is the first in her Broadswords and Ballrooms series. It is 345 pages long and is published by Sourcebooks. The cover has the two main characters on it with the heroine looking at the reader. The intended reader is someone who likes historical romances, humorous stories, and happy endings. There is mild language, sex, and no violence in this book. The story is told from the third person close of the two main characters moving from one to the other. There Be Spoilers Ahead.

From the back of the book-He's the terror of the ton...The plan is simple:1. Descend from the Highlands to face the aggravation of a London Season;2. Foist his wild sister off on some gullible English lord;3. Retreat before the ladies of the scandalized ton can get any ideas.Determined
to see his hellion of a sister wed, Highlander Alexander Waters is
willing to face anything—even the English. He just didn't expect his own
rough manners to cause such a riot...or for a blooming English rose to
catch his eye.Gently bred Catherine Middlebrook must find a
respectable man to marry or her family will be ruined. She won't allow
herself to be distracted by Highland barbarians...no matter how her body
may thrill whenever Alex is near.Catherine wasn't part of the
plan, but as their battle of wills escalates, Alex comes to realize this
"proper" English girl is as wild as the Highlands themselves...and
nothing will stop him from having her.

Review- A very sweet historical romance. The blurb makes it sound much racier than it really is. I liked both main characters but Mary Elizabeth was the best part of the book. She is just so much fun. She does not want to be married off to some English and she is going to go home and to her fishing. Catherine is a good heroine because she is not very stupid. She misunderstands some things but no more than Alex does. They are both mostly innocent when it comes to love and Catherine when it comes to the opposite sex at all. The little misunderstandings were funny not annoying. While I did not have many laugh out loud moments with this book I did have many grins and chuckles with it, so I had a very nice time with this book.

I give this book a Five out of Five stars. I get nothing for my review and I borrowed this book from my local library.

Book Review Rating System

5 Stars = This book is a must read
4 Stars = This is a really good book
3 Stars = It was okay
2 Stars = Unsuccessful in coming up to expections
1 Star = Could not get into or finish the book or I was angry with that book that I wrote a strongly worded letter about it.